12 dead in Lagos boat capsize

Twelve people were killed when a passenger boat capsized in Nigeria’s commercial hub of Lagos on Sunday, the government said, blaming the accident on overcrowding.

“Three more bodies have now been confirmed,” the Lagos State Waterway Authority said in a statement that raised the initial death toll.

“We sympathise with the families of the deceased as 12 lives were lost,” it said, adding that four people are in the hospital.

The sinking occurred in the waterfront community of Ilashe.

The government blamed the incident on overcrowding and illegal activities of boat operators.

“An unfortunate incident occurred at Ilashe today… arising from overloading of passengers on a banana boat taking off from an illegal jetty which has become a perennial issue of the Lagos state government to rid our waterfront areas of illegal operators,” it said.

Although the number of passengers on the ill-fated boat could not be immediately determined, the government said a rescue operation was underway.

I commiserate with the family of those who lost their lives.
Please Lagos State Government and Lagos State Waterway Authority to quickly close all illegal jetties, sanitized the boat operations in the state.
There is no need to wait for this avoidable accident to happen before taking action please.

INTEGRITY

Nigerians!!! When shall we be delivered from the wickedness of our governments? Many of these boat drivers don’t even have one day training and yet they jump into boat without any precautions.

There is ZERO monitoring of their activities on the sea. They are very reckless. Unprofessional and untamed. Yet NO feedback route from the passengers to the Management for erring and incompetent ones to be shown the way out.

Even those ones operating along the Sandfill Axis of VI are not left out. They drive the boats as if they are carrying animals. No regulation of number, weight and speed. The same speed with which they take off is what they end their journey with!!!

What type of country is this? Are we not tired of wasting each other’s life? O God, won’t You just arise because of the elects?